Fire Up for Fall - Week 1

You already know that I've got a lot going on right now ... my mind is always rushing at 1,000 miles a minute and I feel like I've been on the verge of a panic attack for the past 4 weeks. Still, I'm focused on my goals and I am determined to see them through to the end.

A fellow blogger mentioned the Fire Up for Fall Challenge. She said participating in challenges like these has helped her stay on track, so I thought I'd give it a go. The challenge is hosted by Rebecca at Weight Wars.

Part I: Motivating Words

Part II: WEEK ONE QUESTIONS

What are your goals for the Fall Challenge? (List your 5 or more goals)

1. Finish my PhD (I hope to submit my thesis on Sept. 30th! Then I'll have to prepare for (and pass) my viva!)

2. Hit the gym at least 5 times a week

3. Complete phase 2 of New Rules of Lifting for Women

4. Lose 10 pounds by the end of this challenge

5. Experiment with some new healthy recipes

6. Organize my home office as it has been severely neglected while I've been working on my thesis!

Why have you chosen these goals?

As I'm nearing the end of my PhD (I hope!) I feel like it would be helpful to have a focused challenge - with a support group - to help me get back on track as so much of my life has been put on hold in order to finish this task.

Losing weight has always been a goal of mine. While I'm glad that I've made some progress, for the past year I've hit a plateau - and my workouts, though regular, have been completed more on autopilot than with actual enjoyment. I'd like to get that enjoyment back and really focus on losing weight versus just maintaining (which has been my minimum goal this past year). Part of achieving this has to do with me being more careful about what I eat - and that's where the cooking goal comes in J

As for getting organized - I'm dying to get my hands on all the tasks that I've put on the sidelines these past few months/years ... I think getting all my stuff sorted will really be cathartic!

What have you done this week that's made you feel fabulous?

I had traveled for about a month and was afraid that I would have lost the strength that I had built up before traveling. I was following the New Rules of Lifting for Women (NROL4W) program and completed phase 1. I decided to use the two challenge workouts at the end of the phase as a baseline test, which I could then use after I came back from my travels to assess where I stood. I completed Part 1 on Monday and Part 2 on Thursday and was VERY pleased that I had not lost any strength and was even able to improve on all the exercises (except for 1). I'm so relieved that all the travel didn't have a negative effect on my weight training - that definitely made me feel fabulous!

What do you think will be your biggest challenge in reaching your goals?

Time management. I tend to take on quite a lot and don't always have enough time to finish my tasks. I procrastinate a lot!! Also, even though I hope to submit my thesis at the end of this month, there's still a lot of preparing to do for the oral defense. So it's going to be tough balancing studying, having a full-time job, spending time with family, working out, and socializing!

Fun Question! Where in the world do you live? What's amazing about it?

I was born and raised in Kuwait but I am from Bangaldesh. I now teach English at Kuwait University. Hmmm, what's amazing about it? Hard to say. I moved back to Kuwait (after studying and working in the States) for family reasons ... and I guess I just got settled. However, after working here for 11 years, I think I'm pretty much ready to get out!